Bush used "stay the course" until recent weeks when it became clear that it was becoming a political problem. "The characterization of, you know, 'it's stay the course' is about a quarter right," Bush complained at an Oct. 11 news conference. " 'Stay the course' means keep doing what you're doing. My attitude is: Don't do what you're doing if it's not working -- change. 'Stay the course' also means don't leave before the job is done."
By last week, it was no longer a quarter right. "Listen, we've never been stay the course, George," he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News. "We have been -- we will complete the mission, we will do our job and help achieve the goal, but we're constantly adjusting the tactics. Constantly."

Snow said Bush dropped the phrase "because it left the wrong impression about what was going on. And it allowed critics to say, 'Well, here's an administration that's just embarked upon a policy and not looking at what the situation is,' when, in fact, it's just the opposite."Source: Washington Post (linkie)

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So you're making a big, honking distinction between "never been" and "never said"? No wonder you refused to say what Bush said. You should be ashamed of yourself.

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New Member

STEPHANOPOULOS: Exactly what I wanted to ask you about, because James Baker said that he's looking for something between cut and run…

BUSH: Cut and run and.

STEPHANOPOULOS: … and stay the course.

BUSH: Well, listen, we've never been stay the course, George. We have been — we will complete the mission, we will do our job and help achieve the goal, but we're constantly adjusting the tactics, constantly.

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Could be he is referring to the critics definition of "stay the course"

Washington Post said:

From transcript of Bush speech on War on Terror

BUSH: If by "Stay the course," they mean, "We will not allow the terrorists to break our will," they're right.
If by "Stay the course," they mean, "We will not permit Al Qaida to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America," they're right, as well.
If by "Stay the course," they mean that we're not learning from our experiences or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong.
As our top commander in Iraq, General Casey, has said, "Our commanders on the ground are continuously adapting and adjusting, not only to what the enemy does, but also to try to outthink the enemy and get ahead of him."
Our strategy in Iraq is clear. Our tactics are flexible and dynamic. We have changed them as conditions required and they are bringing us victory against a brutal enemy.

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Banned

If it were a regular poster, sure, but carpro is one of those to backtrack and fudge who "he" was and what was said if it isn't specified. Notice he declined to specify what was said because it exposed his game for what it is.

carpro said:

No.

If Bush said what MP said he did, Bush would have blatantly lied. But he didn't.

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What does "Listen, we've never been stay the course, George" mean? With Bush's garbled English, interpretations must be made. What is yours?

How does that not contradict:

"We will stay the course. We will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed," he said in Salt Lake City in August.

"We will win in Iraq so long as we stay the course," he said in Milwaukee in July.

"I saw people wondering whether the United States would have the nerve to stay the course and help them succeed," he said after returning from Baghdad in June.

c said:

What I want to know is if MP made a mistake or if MP is the blatant liar instead of Bush.

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Again, how do you interpret "we've never been stay the course"? That is hardly a blatant lie, but you seem to be shameless in your accusation.

c said:

Simple question, but it sure seems to be tying you in knots.:laugh: I'd let MP answer for himself if I were you. You're not doing too well.

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Why don't you tell me what you think "we've never been stay the course" means and how that doesn't contradict his previous "stay the course" statements?

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Well-Known Member

Could be he is referring to the critics definition of "stay the course"

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by Washington Post
From transcript of Bush speech on War on Terror

BUSH: If by "Stay the course," they mean, "We will not allow the terrorists to break our will," they're right.
If by "Stay the course," they mean, "We will not permit Al Qaida to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America," they're right, as well.
If by "Stay the course," they mean that we're not learning from our experiences or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong.
As our top commander in Iraq, General Casey, has said, "Our commanders on the ground are continuously adapting and adjusting, not only to what the enemy does, but also to try to outthink the enemy and get ahead of him."
Our strategy in Iraq is clear. Our tactics are flexible and dynamic. We have changed them as conditions required and they are bringing us victory against a brutal enemy.

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Banned

This is getting painful. Watching you try to make a lie stand up after it has been proven a lie is sooo... well... so Clintonesque.:BangHead:

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Poor carpro, can't admit you're wrong and apologize to MP like a decent person would do.

Spinning the Course

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, October 24, 2006; 1:22 PM

The latest rounds of spin from the Bush administration are really straining the credulity of the press corps and the public.

First, over the weekend, we were asked to believe that the president's strategy in Iraq has never been to "stay the course." This in spite of all the times in the past that Bush himself has used the phrase, which happens to accurately define his approach.

And now, as of this morning, we're being asked to believe that staying the course (or whatever you want to call it) is working, and that Iraqi security forces could be largely self-sufficient within 12 to 18 months.

Bush, in a CNBC interview, said, "Well, I've been talking about a change in tactics ever since I - ever since we went in, because the role of the commander in chief is to say to our generals, `You adjust to the enemy on the battlefield.'" conference.

White House press secretary Tony Snow said the United States would adjust its Iraq strategy but would not issue any ultimatums to the Iraqis. "Are there dramatic shifts in policy? The answer is no," Snow said Monday.

He acknowledged, however, that Bush no longer is saying that the United States will "stay the course" in Iraq.

"He stopped using it," Snow said of that phrase, adding that it left the impression that the administration was not adjusting its strategy to realities in Baghdad.

THE US President, George Bush, will no longer use the well-worn phrase "stay the course" when speaking about the Iraq war, in an effort to emphasise flexibility in the face of some of the bloodiest violence there since the 2003 invasion.

"He's stopped using it," the White House press secretary, Tony Snow, said on Monday. "It left the wrong impression about what was going on …"

The pronouncement is an example of the complicated line the White House is walking this election year as it tries to tag rival Democrats for wanting to "cut and run" from Iraq, without itself appearing linked to unsuccessful tactics there.

President Bush insists that the United States stay the course in Iraq, but he isn’t talking about staying the course anymore. The White House says that term leaves “the wrong impression’’ about what’s going on.

“I don’t think he’s used that term in a while,’’ White House spokesman Tony Snow said today at the daily press briefing, adding a little more emphatically: “He stopped using it.’’

Snow was asked why the president would stop using the term, “Stay the course’’ – which has become somewhat of a staple in campaign ads challenging Bush on the war and Republican allies supporting him.

*snip*

“My message to the United States of America is: Victory in Iraq is vital for the security of a generation of Americans who are coming up,’’ Bush said. “And so we will stay in Iraq, we will fight in Iraq and we will win in Iraq.’’

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